Description
Book SynopsisBeyond being just fuel for the body, food carries symbolic importance used to define individuals, situations, and places, making it an ideal communication tool. In musical theater, food can be used as a shortcut to tell the audience more about a setting, character, or situation. Because everyone relates to eating, food can also be used to evoke empathy, amusement, or shock from the audience. In some cases, food is central to show's plot. This book looks at popular musical theater shows to examine which foods are used, how they are used, why they are important, and how the food or usage relates to the broader world. Included are recipes for many of the foods that are significant in the shows discussed.
Trade ReviewA fascinating look at the use of food in Broadway musicals to reflect story, character, and atmosphere, including food as a symbol which provides short-cut information to the audience about the plot. This banquet of a book even includes recipes, and is a wonderful treat for gourmands, Broadway and otherwise. -- Dan Dietz, author of
The Complete Book of Broadway Musicals series
Table of Contents
Introduction: The First Taste Chapter 1: Food to Set the Scene Chapter 2: Regional Foods Chapter 3: Food as Identity Chapter 4: Explaining Characters and Relationships Chapter 5: Just Trying to Put Food on the Table Chapter 6: Food Representing Class Chapter 7: The Way to a Man’s (or Woman’s) Heart Conclusion: The Last Morsel
